The Games of Summer 2006

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Isn't football a fall sport?

By Jonathan Miller

While Microsoft has forgotten about the Xbox and moved on to the 360, uber-publisher Electronic Arts is sticking right with the big black box and releasing three football games this summer. Sure, football's a fall sport, but there is perhaps no bigger event for sports gamers than the release of the next Madden NFL game. Circle August 22 on your calendars. EA is also putting out the next NCAA Football, an IGN office favorite, and NFL Head Coach, the first ever professional football role playing game. It's an ambitious effort geared for hardcore football fans and another way EA is using its exclusive third-party NFL license.

Being the Xbox and all, it wouldn't be summer without a new first-person shooter, and you'll have two good ones to play. Both Painkiller: Hell Wars and Urban Chaos: Riot Response are slated to hit shelves and each offer their own unique brands of gameplay. These titles should be enough this summer while you flip burgers, hoping to save up for a 360 and the games of fall. Did someone say Gears of War? Enjoy the Xbox Games of Summer, 2006.

What to Expect: As Nick Mason, you're going to clean up this town, that town being gang-riddled New York City. As a part of T-Zero, the elite and controversial force granted emergency powers, you'll control the police department, the fire department and paramedic services in order to protect and serve the terrified citizenry. Urban Chaos offers several different gameplay mechanics that separate it from traditional shooters: you'll work in tandem with firefighters to put out blazes; you'll command medics to save victims; and, of course, you'll shoot and kill gang members.

What to Expect: EA is taking a chance with its NFL license and releasing what we like to call a football RPG. The day after Super Bowl XL, you'll take the reins of an NFL franchise, hire a coaching staff, resign your current players and head to the NFL Draft. Think Reggie Bush should go number one? You can take the Texans and make it happen. From there, sign your picks and get your players into camp. Design your own plays and tweak your coaching philosophy to fit your team needs. And after all this, you still haven't even coached a game yet. On the field, you'll call the shots and motivate your players. If you got what it takes you'll make the Hall of Legends.

What to Expect: Painkiller: Hell Wars is only a game of summer because it's been delayed so many times, but that doesn't mean we're not eager to play Dreamcatcher's hellish FPS. Once again, it's Heaven V. Hell in a bout for the universe. Stuck in Purgatory, you play as car-wreck victim Daniel and are assigned to take out Satan's generals. Translation: boss fight! Why a car-wreck victim is chosen to take on the minions of Hell is a mystery to me, but along the way you'll get soul powerups and find a variety of different weapons. What Xbox gamers really want, however, is online play, and that's exactly what you'll get. Fatal1ty, watch out!